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This Is How the Experts Throw a Garden Wedding

100 Layer Cake is a blog with a focus on weddings that lends some serious inspiration when it comes to celebrating life's special moments. Whether you're looking for real-life examples of the perfect Art Deco tablescape or a minimalistic flower bouquet, 100 Layer Cake has you covered. Every month, the bloggers will be providing us with décor ideas accompanied by beautiful images of real weddings. Here, their experts lend us a few tips on creating an enchanting outdoor wedding.

Are you recently engaged and looking to create just the right garden setting for their big day? We don’t generally play favorites when it comes to wedding themes, but garden weddings will always hold a special place in our hearts. They’re romantic, organic, and make for stunning wedding photos. The best part? There are so many creative ways to pull it off and each can be tailored to fit your own personal tastes. Follow our eight tips for throwing the perfect garden wedding.

The best garden weddings are at venues with a rich natural setting. Whether it’s botanical gardens, a ranch, or a more woodsy setting, you will want to be surrounded by greenery and foliage. If you can swing it, growing flowers are always a plus. The more that’s already there, the less you have to bring in. If you’ve got a backyard wedding planned, don’t worry! You can still bring in all those little details.

When it comes to the floral details, think loose, graceful flower arrangements.Ferns, amaranthus, and seeded eucalyptus are just a few that come to mind for accenting whatever flowers you choose for the bouquet and centerpieces. Just make sure they’ve got that slightly wild look to them so they don’t look out of place.

Don’t stop at bouquets!Carry the floral theme throughout the place settings, tablescape, cake, and paper goods. Some couples like to go all-out with their theme, especially when it comes to creating an enchanting garden feel, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Incorporate subtle leaf motifs into the signage or adorn select chairs with a few sprigs of greens.

Incorporate herbs or colorful edible flowers into your appetizers and drinks. If you have signature cocktails, you’ll need garnish, right? Petals and sprigs of herbs are perfect for carrying the vibe through to the reception. Finger foods are great for garden parties, too, and there are tons of ways to fit the theme and add flavor with garnish.

So, you’ve got a natural setting and tons of greenery—how do you make everything stand out? Give your ceremony a touch of gold. A bit of contrast always does the trick. Adorn the space with a bit of sparkle, like gold flatware, gold-rimmed cocktail glassware, or place settings with gold-foiled text. Any metallic here will do the trick. This not only keeps you from going into overkill territory with your theme, it’ll also make everything pop just a bit more.

Let your aisle make a statement. The classic floral-adorned archway is always an inspired idea for a garden wedding, but you can construct a wooden arbor to string a garland or arrangement across, or hang a few flowers from the corners.

You can never go wrong with a subtle vintage vibe. Garden parties lend themselves perfectly to romantic vintage styles, but you can still keep it modern by adding vintage into the accents as opposed to the whole theme. Antique keys on the escort cards or a bouquet tied with a bit of lace will add to the garden party magic.

Get creative with table décor.Florals anchor the design, but the details bring it together. Think about the type of vases and vessels arrangements will be displayed in, as well as the smaller fixtures, like candles or table numbers. With the natural elements as your muse, you’ll be able to create a full, cohesive table. If you’re on a strict floral budget, don’t sweat it. A simple table runner made of greenery lined with candles can look stunning, too.